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Guitar chords · Diminished

G° chord on guitar (Gdim)

G° (G ) has three notes: G, B♭ and D♭, the , ♭3 and ♭5.

Shapes

How to play G°

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

G° has no common . Play it as the E shape at 3 or the A shape at fret 10. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • E shape · fret 3

    3fr××R♭5R♭3GD♭GB♭
  • A shape · fret 10

    10fr××R♭5R♭3GD♭GB♭
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes G° diminished

A chord stacks two minor 3rds, so its 5th is a flat. It sounds tense and unstable and is usually a passing chord; in a major key it is the vii° chord.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The ♭3rd and the ♭5th make G° a chord.

  1. GRroot
  2. B♭♭3essential
  3. D♭♭5essential
EADGBE0135791215GGGGGGGGGB♭D♭B♭D♭B♭B♭D♭B♭D♭B♭D♭B♭D♭B♭D♭
  • G, the root
  • Other chord tones

G° usually resolves up a to A♭ or G♯m, the chord it leads into.

Keys

Keys with G°

G° belongs to three keys: A♭ major (vii°), A♭ minor (vii°, ) and F minor (ii°).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

G° over another bass note

A keeps G° on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • G°/B♭

    G° with its ♭3rd, B♭, in the bass: the first inversion.

  • G°/D♭

    G° with its ♭5th, D♭, in the bass: the second inversion.

Questions

G°, in short

What notes are in the G° chord?
G° (G ) has three notes: G, B♭ and D♭, the , ♭3 and ♭5.
How do you play G° on guitar?
G° has no common . Play it as the E shape at 3 or the A shape at fret 10.
What key is G° in?
G° belongs to three keys: A♭ major (vii°), A♭ minor (vii°, ) and F minor (ii°).
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